India great Sunil Gavaskar explained how both Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant could be accommodated in India’s playing XI for the high-octane T20 World Cup match against Pakistan. Gavaskar feels India can accommodate both Karthik and Pant in the playing XI by making Hardik Pandya the fifth bowling option in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
The Rohit Sharma-led side, who will open their campaign against Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday, have two wicketkeeper-batter options in Karthik and Pant, both of them vying for a spot in the XI.
“It’s just that maybe, if they decide to go with six bowlers, with Hardik Pandya being the sixth bowler, then he (Pant) may not be able to find a place,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Live’.
”But if they decide to go with Hardik Pandya as the fifth bowler, then Rishabh Pant has an opportunity to bat at number six and Karthik maybe at number seven, followed by the four bowlers. So, that could well happen. We just have to wait and see.
”They would certainly want a left-hander in the middle, but looking at the top four, who are in such good form, you sometimes say to yourself, ‘How many overs is Rishabh Pant going to get in? ”Is he going to get three or four overs? And for three or four overs, is Karthik or Rishabh better?’ So, these are all the situations they will look at and they’ll take a call on this,” he said.
